Collecting medical and hospital waste to be subsequently treated and eliminated is problematic due to the aforementioned reasons. To protect medical personnel from accidentally coming into contact with the previously mentioned waste, there are different types of containers intended to collect waste, and in patent literature we can find several documents on this subject matter:
Document WO 2012056082 describes a cartridge for recycling medical waste which includes a body of recyclable material with a closed shape, the inner structure of which is divided into multiple compartments that define waste-receiving chambers, with axes that are parallel to one another and to the axis of the cartridge, said chambers closed at one end and open at the opposite end; the cartridge further comprising a heat-shrinkable plastic material which covers the cartridge at least on the sides. This invention further relates to a waste container which includes at least one waste-recycling cartridge of the type stated, as well as a method for compacting and sterilizing medical waste by using a recycling cartridge inserted in said waste container, inserting the recycling cartridge in a sterilization autoclave, with the aim of compressing the heat-shrinkable plastic material and forming a type of seal for the content in said recycling cartridge.
Document US 2010019024 describes a transport package to hold sample tubes and similar waste material that comprises a crush-resistant cardboard tube, with an absorbent lining that closes by means of end covers. One end this tube has a permanent closure and the other end can close by means of a cover that has an inner flange with a lip that couples the two sections of the tube.
Document US 2002088723 describes a shipping package for protecting a fragile item, such as a sample vial, which comprises a crush-resistant inner container and a tube formed from spirally wound fibrous plies adhered together, as well as an outer container surrounding the inner container. The outer container is a semi-rigid fluid-impervious can, while the inner container has a liner of absorbent material.